Spending time with your kids everyday can lead you into a never changing routine. When you have a regular set of family activities that you do from week to week, it can be hard to find new inspiration. Break out of the monotonous days and make new, exciting memories with your kids. Here are a few great places to take your kids in Garden City!
Parrot Cove Water Park
This is the top-of-the-list place to take your kids! Parrot Cove delivers on rock climbing, winding lagoons, twisting waterslides, and all of your child’s wildest dreams. Parents can relax to the sounds of Percy’s Waterfall with the distant thrills of a child going down the Screamin’ Tsunami. There are over 5 full-sized water slides, an obstacle course, and a kiddie lagoon housed under this temperature-controlled building. The complex is ready to handle birthday parties, serve hungry kids at the Snack Shack, and arcade fans in the Great Arcade. They have partnered with Heritage Inn & Suites to provide accommodation for out-of-town guests. The promise of a trip to Parrot Cove is all you would need to have your kids finishing their vegetables all week. Day passes and season passes are available.
Hardrock Lanes Bowling Alley
The bowling alley is a groovy place to teach kids some coordination. The staff are ready to teach your kid how to be a bowling star during the 10 Pin Kids League. This league is for ages 7-11 and teaches the fundamentals of bowling. Teens are not left out either. Your teenager may have a hidden bowling talent that they can discover at the Rock N’ Bowl Teens League. The bowling alley is a family-fun center and they can host your next birthday party. If you want to try your hand at getting a strike, then head to the bowling alley on Sunday from 2 to 5pm. They run a Family Fest special where you can get a pitcher of soda, bucket of popcorn, and an hour of bowling with the whole family. After bowling, you can all head to the Tumbleweed Turf mini golf course. There is an 18-hole miniature golf course in the same place. A trip to Hardrock Lanes will put the coordination of all ages to the test!
Saints of Fun
An hour of paintball is sure to bring the family together, right? They believe so at Saints of Fun where the slogan is “strengthening families one paintball at a time.” They are located just outside of the city off of highway 156. The Starter Package includes a paintball gun, mask, 200 paintballs, and entry onto the playing field. Play for keeps and order the Slayer Package with an additional 200 paintballs. They also offer laser tag with 10-minute games and a personal referee. When the adrenaline has worn off, you are guaranteed to have a tired child. For birthdays, or family vs family, you can reserve the field for groups of 10 or more. They ask that you please make your reservation two weeks in advance. Saints of Fun is an option for the thrill-seeking families out there!
Garden City Arts
Cultivate creativity with your little ones at the art center. The Garden City Art Center has been promoting the growth of the art community since 1989. The main gallery is located downtown on N. Main street. Teach your children the art of interpretation at their monthly exhibits. Also, they are serving up art classes for all age ranges. The art classes are currently offered virtually with premade kits.
If you child is ready to get creative with paint, then pick up your Mini & Me art kit. Each kit has all the materials you will need to complete the project and you have a video tutorial to go with it. An option for 4 people is the Family Night kit which features a new project each month. The whole family can build an adorable clay, gnome home to sit on the shelf as a reminder of a fun night. They do offer in-person painting parties for birthdays and large gatherings, ages 5 and up! Just think about your child with paint brush in hand, clear canvas, and loads of imagination. You may have the next Bob Ross sitting at your dinner table!
Escape the Clock
Here is a real challenge for everyone in the family. Rated one of the top 10 escape rooms in Kansas, Escape the Clock is sure to teach your family how to work together. Are you ready to be locked in one of their 5 themed-rooms for an hour with all of the kids? You will need problem solving, trust, and communication to perfect the puzzle combination and make your way out.
Imagine your family are gingerbread men and have just been let out of the hot oven to find yourself in the Gingerbread Cottage. You have 60 minutes to make it out of the cottage before the kids come to eat your cookie bodies. These rooms are an adventure for teenagers and kids alike. There are three escape rooms that the staff recommend for families, including the Gingerbread Cottage, Alice in Wonderland, and The Mayan Experience. Rooms have a maximum from 6 to 12 people. You can plan your escape seven days a week, so what are you waiting for?
Lee Richardson Zoo
A well-known attraction throughout southwest Kansas. The Lee Richardson Zoo is an educational place for the whole family. There are approximately 50 acres of landscaped areas that are dedicated to providing spacious homes for over 300 exotic animals. The zoo is mapped out by region so children can learn about geography at the same time. Head “down under” to admire kangaroos, then walk to the African plains to watch lions mingling with black rhinos. If your children are interested in creepy-crawlies, they can explore the Finnup center where the tarantulas and boa constrictors live. You can surely bribe your kids to stop monkeying-around with a weekend trip to the zoo. Best of all, the zoo is free to walk through! This kid-friendly experience is geared toward promoting an appreciation for wildlife through conservation and an engaging atmosphere.